JPS61183003A - Method for determining priority order in automatic storing warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the efficiency in a conveyor operation to be augmented by finding a latency based on the time required for an operation and the current time so as to allow the first priority to be given to an operation where the sum of the latency and the required carrying time which is stored in advance by operation, is maximum. CONSTITUTION:A shipping and/or receiving command signals are outputted from each of stations 1-3 a latency is found by a receiver and transmitter 40 based on the difference between a current time and a time required for an operation. And the time required by each of stations for the required operation is read out of the data which are stored in advance. Then, the sum of the latency and the required time for the conveyor operation is computed so as to allow the first priority to be given to the operation, the sum of which is largest among them. The priority for the rest of them is determined depending on the order in magnitude of their sum permitting conveyor command to be outputted to the respective carrying truck 30. This configuration enables the efficiency of conveyor operation to be augmented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a work priority determining method in an automated warehouse system.

[Background of the invention]

In automated warehouses, stacker cranes are used to store cargo from the storage entrance to each column and to unload cargo from each column to the exit port. Techniques for efficiently carrying out warehousing and unloading operations using this Stavka crane are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 7142-1982, 11482-1982, and 4311-1982.

By the way, conveyors and the like have conventionally been used to transport cargo between the entrance and exit of an automated warehouse and each station. However, each time a station is added or changed, it is necessary to add or change a conveyor line, resulting in a lack of flexibility. Therefore, recently, it has been considered to use a transport vehicle to transport cargo between the storage entrance and each stay 912. In such a case, the problem remains as to what priority order should be used to perform the work on this transport vehicle.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a work priority determination method in an automated warehouse system that improves the efficiency of transport work (warehousing work and unloading work) using transport vehicles between the warehouse entrance and each station.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention takes as parameters the waiting time after issuing a work request and the time required for transportation when performing the work, and prioritizes the work so that the work corresponding to the maximum value of the sum of these is performed. It is characterized by determining.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on specific examples.

First, a schematic configuration example of an automated warehouse system will be explained with reference to FIG. In the tJ2 diagram, 10 indicates the traveling line of the truck, and in this example, it has lines L1 to L7. Add is the incoming and outgoing conveyor. A transport vehicle is used to transport cargo between each station run (marked with O in the figure) and the loading/unloading conveyor. Work instructions to the transport vehicle (9) are sent from the transmitting/receiving bag installed near the loading/unloading conveyor m! This is done by E40.

In other words, one truck (9) receives a work command from a computer (not shown) at this position, and transports the cargo to a designated stage mushroom on a designated line (any of Ll-L7), or The cargo at the station is transported to the loading/unloading conveyor X. As shown in FIG.
), it turns on (ON) when it can be handed over to the cart, and turns off (OF
F). The same applies to the delivery request signal.

The work order determination process according to the embodiment of the present invention is performed every time a warehousing request signal (or a warehousing request signal) is generated. The incoming or outgoing request signal is randomly generated from each stage box, and therefore usually a plurality of request signals are generated.

Among these multiple tasks, which task should be performed is processed from the viewpoint of increasing overall efficiency, and the order of priority is determined. This processing flow is shown in FIG. First, the step person in the jFJ1 diagram takes in the time in O8 (Operating System), which is automatically updated by the computer. next.

The number (/16) indicating which line and stage the request signal is generated from is determined via the input/output device. If there is corresponding case data, the difference between the request generation time and the current time is set in the time table. These are performed for all cases. The processing up to this point is steps B5 to B2G. Next, if there is corresponding case data in the time table (Stedab B25
), the addition result of the time table and the distance table is added to the priority order table (Stedub B50). These processes are performed for all cases (Stedab B55). Note that the distance table is obtained by measuring the time required for transportation between each stage blind and the loading/unloading conveyor in advance, and making a table of these for each station. In general, remember the time at which the request signal was generated, find the difference between it and the current time at which the work decision is to be made (time table), and if this is set to 1, select the corresponding stage with a large Tn. By giving priority, you will not have to wait for a long time after the request is generated. but.

There is a relationship between conveyance distances, and determining the work order sections in descending order of Tn and having the work performed does not necessarily improve the overall work efficiency. Therefore, Tn is the largest (
When there is not much difference between the one with the largest waiting time and the second largest one, the time Ht required for transportation corresponding to the retreat distance was considered as a factor for selection. In other words, ΣT =
Tn + Ht is determined, and the work order is selected in order of the largest ΣT. For the second reason, the ΣT creation process is Steadub B25.
-B35.

Processing for all cases completed (step?) B 35
) Then, the priority table is used to determine the work order.

This determination process is performed in order of increasing ΣT value.

Steadub of C05 to C40 and D is to find the maximum value of ΣT and determine the stage failure corresponding to the maximum value. Step F is a process performed when there is no work to be done to the cart, and resets a timer for restarting the series of processes after a certain period of time. Step B instructs and outputs the determined work to the trolley.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the work is determined in the maximum value class of the priority table obtained as the sum of the waiting time and the time required for transportation of each work, which contributes to improving the overall efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a work priority determination process flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an automated warehouse system,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a warehousing request signal. 10...Traveling line, Nodding...Input/output conveyor, Blade...Transportation cart, Xun...Transmitting/receiving device; Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a method for determining the work priority order of a transport vehicle in an automated warehouse system in which the transport vehicle transports cargo between the entrance or exit of an automated warehouse and each station, the amount required for transport is determined according to each task. a step of memorizing the time; a step of calculating the difference between the time when the work request was issued from the station and the current time to obtain the waiting time; and a step of calculating the sum of the waiting time and the time required for the transport. , and determining the work request from the station where the value of the sum is maximum.